Lickerin and feed roll cover



May 16, 1961 R. 5. BROWN ETAI.

LICKERIN AND FEED ROLL COVER Filed Aug. 1, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS R. SBROWN A.L. MILLER ATTORNEY y 6,- 1961 R. 5. BROWN TAL 2,983,966

LICKERIN AND FEED ROLL COVER Filed Aug. 1, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. 8. BROWN AfL. MILLER BY wi y 6, 1961 R. 5. BROWN ETAI. 2,983,966

LICKERIN AND FEE D ROLL COVER Filed Aug. 1, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR5 R. 8. BROWN A. L. MILLER BY ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 R. s. BROWN ETAI.

LICKERIN AND FEED ROLL COVER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 1. 1958 -l I I m. N w mo R W B S R A. L. MILLER 5 6 7 u m m. H F F ATTORNEY May 16, 1961 R. 5. BROWN ETAL LICKERIN AND FEED ROLL COVER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 1, 1958 INVENTORS R S BROWN A. L. MILLER ATTOilNEY LICKERIN AND FEED ROLL COVER Roger S. Brown and August L. Miller, New Orleans, La.,

asslgnors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Filed Aug. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 752,678

4 Claims. (Cl. 19105) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to improvements in textile carding machines. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved type of lickerin cover which also covers the feed roll and improves the cleaning action of the lickerin and reduces the loss of spinnable fiber below the lickerin of the carding machine.

Conventional carding machines consist essentially of a lickerin to pluck small tufts of staple fiber from a bat of fibers, a carding cylinder onto which the fibers are deposited by the lickerin, a plurality of fiat bars which surround about one-third of the peripheral surface of the carding cylinder, and a dotfer which removes the fibers from the cylinder. The principal function of a carding machine is to separate the fibers and form a strand in which the fibers are relatively parallel. The carding machine however, is a very good cleaning machine and is depended upon to remove all leaf, seed particles, and tangled fibers not previously removed by the cleaning machines. This cleaning in the carding machine is accomplished by the mote knives below the lickerin and by the impacting of trash and fibers in the needles of the cylinder and flats. The resulting waste is periodically removed and disposed of. This waste is not all trash but contains a large percentage of good fiber. It is that part of the waste removed by the mote knives and the lickerin to which this invention is related. It is the object of this invention to decrease the amount of fiber loss in this waste and at the same time increase the amount of cleaning accomplished by the mote knives. The prevention of spinnable fiber being lost in the waste below the lickerin is of particular advantage. This waste, known as motes and fly is generally a total loss for a textile mill. A saving in spinnable fiber from this waste of approximately 0.4 percent of the total cotton processed, as has been found possible with this invention, is therefore appreciable. It has'long been .the desire of many textile manufacturers to operate their carding machines with greater lickerinspeedsto achieve a better quality product. One of the prime objections, however, has been the increase in loss of good fiber below the lickerin as the speed increased. One of the major causes of this increased loss has been found to be the increase of air pressure by the lickerin above the nose of the feed plate. The "device, which is the object of this invention, eliminates the cause of this loss by allowing the air to escape and I by keeping the air pressure relatively constant above the nose of the feed plate at all lickerin speeds. Higher lickerin speeds are thereby permitted with a minimum loss of good fiber, and with full realization of the benefits otherwise derived.

In general, the objects of this invention are achieved Patented May 16,. 19 61 by replacing the conventional lickerin cover and scavenger roll with a scientifically contoured cover which fits over the lickerin and extends over the feed roll and down to the fiber lap being fed into the machine. The device which is the object of this invention reduces the air pressure above the lickerin by allowing the air to filter through the fiber lap. The contoured cover may have a hinged section to permit access to the feed roll, and an adjustable end piece for setting the desired clearance to the feed plate.

The invention is described in detail below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the back end of a conventional carding machine.

Figure 2 is the same sectional view as Figure 1 show ing the relationship between the new cover and the old elements of the carding machine, and the lap of fiber being fed into the machine.

Figure 3 is an exploded view in isometric of that part of the cover which extends over the feed roll, showing the end closure pieces, and hinged section of the cover plate, and the adjustable edge bulb for regulating the pressure on the lap.

Figure 4 is an end view of the cover shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view and Figure 6 is an elevation of the end closure piece.

Figure 7 is an end view of the cover plate at the closure piece, showing the hinged section of the cover plate in the closed position by solid lines, 'and in the opened position by dash lines. This view also shows the edge bulb in an up position by solid lines and in a down position by dash lines.

Figure 8 is a schematic sectional view showing variations that can be given to the contour of the cover plate.

Figure 1 shows the lickerin cover 4 and scavenger roll 6, of a conventional card along with the lickerin 1, feed roll 2, feed plate 3, nose 3a of the feed plate, and parts of the main cylinder 8. The scavenger roll has a felt covering, and rotates as the feed roll turns, to seal the opening between the feed roll and cover, and to pick up all loose fibers which tend to pass through.

The feed roll turns at a slow speed, normally about 1 or 2 revolutions per minute, and the scavenger roll is turned by its contact with the feed roll.

As seen in Figure 2, the apparatus of our invention is a cover plate 14, which fits above the lickerin 1, and has a contour which extends over the feed roll 2 and down to the surface of the fiber lap 9. The cover plate 14 replaces cover plate 4 and scavenger roll 6 of Figure 1. Cover plate 14 is mounted on shrouds (not shown) which are the conventional end covers for the lickerin. The cover plate, provided with mounting holes 511, is fastened to the shrouds by one cap screw 5 at each end which is the same method used to fasten the conventional cover plate 4, as seen in Figure 2. Cover plate 14 can have a variety of contours as shown by 19, 20, and 21 in Figure 8, and can be a single one piece cover with no hinged sections or adjustments. The preferred contour is 20 of Figure 8 which is also that of the cover plate shown in Figure 2. The preferred cover plate has a hinged section -16 which has a beveled joint 16a, and a hinge 15, at each end. The hinged section is shown in the opened position 17, in Figures 2 and 7. It is held in the open position by resting in the groove 18 of the end closure pieces 10. It can be seen in Figures 2 and 7 that when the hinged section is in the opened position it exposes the feed roll for inspection where the lap feeds tion by the hinges and its own weight. The end closure piece is fastened to the main section of the cover by the screws 11.

The preferred cover plate also has an adjustable bulb 4 l and a feed plate the nose of which is in proximity to the feed roll, said contoured cover plate being of such dimensions as to completely cover the exposed top of the lickerin and to extend over and around the feed roll to a shaped edge Piece Which can be adjusted p dOWn distance from the feed plate sufficient that the lower edge to egulate the Pressure on The fiber P- The iustrnent of the contoured cover plate makes contact with a fiber is af:c0mpli e by loosening the nuts ure 7, and lap on the feed plate when in operating position, said sliding the bulb up or down as permitted by the elonfiber lap completing the closure between said lower edge gated holes 13a through which it is fastened. of the contoured cover plate and the feed plate, whereby The advantages of the lickerin and feed roll cover air currents generated dur ng rotation of the lickerin and over the conventional cover and scavenger roll are as dust and lint carried by said air currents are directed into follows. By permitting the escape of air from above the the fiber lap, said dust and lint being filtered and retained hgkeriln idlnd pfeilrlnitting the daiit-1r to isi'illpe at the bull:l by said fiber lap while air passes thgough shaid lap thiregy s ape e ge o e cover an oug e uncompresse maintaining a constant pressure a ove t e nose 0 t e batt there is less air circulated with the lickerin past the 15 feed plate and feed roll at all lickerin speeds. mote knives 7 resulting in better removal of foreign mat- 3 The contoured cover plate f claim 2 having means e Wlth less less of fiber- Also: by the eseapmg to adjust the position of the lower edge thereof whereby to B through the fi lap as mdleated by the the pressure of said lower edge on the fiber lap can be arrows in Figure 2, the lint and dust are filtered out varied thereby p s the room atmosphere clean- The lint 4. In combination with a carding machine having a a dust fed back in W the P and carding cylinder, a lickerin, a feed roll, and a feed plate lint processed, and the dust is eventually discharged into having the nose th f i proximity to h f d roll, a the Waste. contoured cover plate over the lickerin and feed roll, said hTSlSdWlthbth1SIlVe11t10I1 sholiiv a l'fldlcllctlon 1n n gg In contoured cover plate completely covering the exposed top i z s 1 s g: if e g of g of the lickerin and extending over and around the feed ualit of thepfinished textil: g g z gz roll to a distance from the feed plate sufiicient that the y p p p lower edge of the contoured cover plate makes contact ticularly ob ectionable in dyed fabrics since they always fib 1 th f d I t h dye a diiferent shade and can thereby give cause for a er ap on e 66 a e w cu m opera mg the fabrics to be classed as Seconds 0 tion, said fiber lap completing the closure between said The following table presents test data obtained for lower edge of f contoured cover plate and e feed purposes of comparison between our invention and a P e y lr C rrents generated during rotation of conventional lickerin cover with the scavenger roll. For the e f dust and hilt earned y 531d the tests, low middling grade, 1% inch cotton was d are directed into the fiber lap, said dust and lint being as the rocessing material: filtered and retained by said fiber lap while air passes N t Neps pcr grain Card Waste fiigtleygsils lg t wgt. Fed, Minutes of Flat CD1 Motcs lbs. Production: Strips, Strips, Fly, Sweeps, Total, Fiber Trash Per- Per- Per- Percent Per- Per- Per- 30 90 150 cent cent cent cent cent cent Conventional Lickerin Cover 32.25 17.4 23.2 23.5 3.53 1.32 2. 42 .21 7.48 .93 1.49 This Invention 32.60 15.2 20.2 19.6 3.34 1.23 1.99 .24 6.80 .47 1.52

1 Cylinder and Doficr.

We claim:

1. In combination with a carding machine having a carding cylinder, a lickerin, a feed roll, and a feed plate having the nose thereof in proximity to the feed roll, a contoured cover plate over the lickerin and feed roll, said contoured cover plate completely covering the exposed top of the lickerin and extending over and around the feed roll to a distance from the feed plate sufficient that the lower edge of the contoured cover plate makes contact with a fiber lap on the feed plate when in operating position, said fiber lap completing the closure between said lower edge of the contoured cover plate and the feed plate, whereby air currents generated during rotation of the lickerin and dust and lint carried by said air currents are directed into the fiber lap, said dust and lint being filtered and retained by said fiber lap while air passes through said lap thereby maintaining a constant pressure above the nose of the feed plate and feed roll at all lickerin speeds.

2. A contoured cover plate for the lickerin and feed roll of a carding machine having a lickerin, a feed roll,

be raised to expose the feed roll, said portion when raised forming a closure between the feed roll and the remainder of the contoured cover plate to prevent escape of air and lint and dust carried by the air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 182,995 Dyson Oct. 10, 1876 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,802 Great Britain of 1905' 12,665 Great Britain of 1888 762,403 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956 

